Underdog Silvertips stun Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Everett Silvertips were given no chance in their first-round Western Hockey League playoff series against the high-flying, heavily favored Portland Winterhawks.

But after one game the Tips have the series lead.

Everett pulled off a shocker in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, stunning the Winterhawks 4-3 Friday night.

All the signs pointed to a Portland slaughter in the series. The top-seeded Winterhawks won the Scotty Munro Trophy for the league’s best record during the regular season, finished with more than twice as many points as the eighth-seeded Tips (117 to 57), and won the regular-season series 9-1.

But Austin Lotz played a phenomenal game in goal for Everett, making 55 saves, and Kohl Bauml scored twice in the third period as the Tips held on for an unlikely victory.

Cole MacDonald and Joshua Winquist also scored for Everett, which ended a pair of lengthy droughts. The Tips snapped a 10-game playoff losing streak and they ended an 18-game losing streak in Portland. Both streaks dated back to 2010.

Chase De Leo, Ty Rattie and Nicolas Petan scored for Portland. Mac Carruth made 27 saves in net for the Winterhawks.

Everett trailed 1-0 after one period, but the Tips took command of the scoreboard by scoring three consecutive goals to go ahead 3-1.

It began 3:07 into the second period. Carson Stadnyk found an angle and cut in front of goal, and MacDonald was able to get the final touch in putting the puck over the line, knotting it at 1-1.

The Tips then took the lead at 17:05. Tyler Sandhu made a nice feed from behind the net to Winquist in the circle, and Winquist one-timed a shot past Carruth to make it 2-1. Lotz made a spectacular diving save on De Leo with nine seconds remaining to preserve Everett’s lead heading into the third period.

Everett then took a two-goal lead 3:25 into the third. Bauml, right on top of the crease, somehow found a way to put a rebound over Carruth and under the crossbar, making it 3-1.

Portland made it a one-goal game again at 9:37 as Rattie scored off a face-off win. Then the Winterhawks nearly tied it, but Lotz made another amazing save to deny Taylor Leier.

The Tips regained their two-goal advantage at 12:46. Everett rushed the puck up the ice and Bauml played a give-and-go with Reid Petryk before putting a shot past Carruth to make it 4-2.

Portland pressed late and the Winterhawks got back within one with a power-play goal with 16 seconds remaining. Petan put a rebound in with Carruth pulled for an extra attacker. But Portland never got another scoring chance as the Tips held on for the upset.